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DEAR
Page 29
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All in favour of CB radio
I HAVE READ and thought about your comments in your editorial of May 24 entitled ''Dangerous toys-, and feel that I should offer my views for your consideration.
You stated that CB radio is a contributory factor in the high number of road accidents which occur in the USA. The emergency and law enforcernents in that country offer a totally different view; they have on numerous occasions praised the use of CB radios. Its use by Americans allows emergency calls to be transmitted on a specially reserved wavelength and assistance summoned in the minimum possible time; this can often mean the difference between life and death.
Also road users can be alerted of delays and road conditions up to 20 miles before they encounter them; this allows them to avoid these delays and hazardous conditions.
It can also be used to apprehend criminals and recently in London it was used for just this purpose. A bank raid had been committed by a gang of criminals who carried out the raid and escaped in their getaway car. The raid and escape was witnessed by a person who had a CB set in his vehicle. He immediately gave chase and broadcast his position to other CB users; these other CB"ers then joined the chase.
One of the CB operators contacted the police and constantly relayed the robbers position to the police control room. Eventually the police apprehended the :riminals and recovered all of he money. I adrnit that the CB Dperators were acting illegally Ander the present laws, but they ;till performed a public duty and ielped the police fully.
I reply to your accusation that 2B is a dangerous toy and must disagree with you most strongly. It is no more dange rous than radios and cassette players fitted in many of today's vehicles. I have driven very many miles on the Ml, M6, M56, M61, M62 and M63 regularly and in all types of weathers there have been numerous occasions when I've suddenly encountered adverse conditions and had to react in stantaneously. A CB radio in the car would have allowed other road users with CB's to have informed me of these conditions before I encountered them.
At other times I have encountered accidents which have either partially or completely blocked some or all of the lanes; at anything near the maximun road speed this is a very dange rous situation. In poor weather conditions at any speed this potentially dangerous situation becomes a lethal one. With CB a driver can again be forewarned and take appropriate action to prevent a multiple pile-up which seems to be a normal occurrence on the motorway network.
As a road transport engineer would welcome a CB in my vehicle and if a driver asked me for permission to fit one in his vehicle I would agree if I thought he would use it sens ibly. Your pronouncement that CB users are of a mentality to allow their driving to be im paired by using the equipment of a lack of responsibility towards their fellow road users is just too general to be acceptable.
I admit that there may be a small proportion of people to whom this generalisation can be applied to, but not the majority. I think that you will agree that with human nature this generalisation can be applied to anything that homo sapiens as a species undertake.
As an Associate of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers I am bound by a professional code of conduct that would not allow me to advocate the fitting and operation of CB in any vehicle in my charge if I felt that it would endanger the driver, other road users or the public in general. I do not feel that this would be the case and therefore I am firmly in favour of setting up, installing and operating CB in whatever form the Minister of State deems acceptable.
I hope that you accept my views as a personal statement and not from any particular company or association.
GRAHAM A. L. ELLIS, London N9